Railway car center bearing

ABSTRACT

An antirocking centerplate for railroad cars wherein the load on the car is supported on opposed, large diameter, annular bearing surfaces with a friction ring exposed to one of the friction surfaces, centrally disposed means independent of the friction surfaces themselves, for guiding the car body when being assembled into position upon the truck.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Franklin I). Barber Reierellces CM "moor. llL UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 1 pp 7511196 1,725,042 8/1929 Zimmer 105/199 0 x [221 "8- 1968 1,725,659 8/1929 Men/161166.031... 105/200 1451 fl 3,2l8,989 11/1965 Kreineretal. 105/199 c x [731 8" Truck 3mm! 2,655,117 10/1953 Travilla 308/137 x 3,170,740 2/1965 Smith 308/137 3,399,006 8/1968 Reece e161. 308/137 Primary ExaminerArthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran 541 RAILWAY CAR CENTER BEARING Mark 1 cum, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U5, CL 105 199 3 ABSTRACT: An antirocking centerplate for railroad cars 1051200, 1051228, 308/137 wherein the load on the car is supported on opposed, large 51 Int. (:1 1161: 5/16, diameter. annular bearing surfaces with a friction g exposed 3611' 5/18 F16; 17/04 to one of the friction surfaces, centrally disposed means inde- [50] Field 61 Search 105/ 1 99, pendent of the friction Surfaces themselves, for g i g the car body when being assembled into position upon the truck.

RAILWAY CAR CENTER BEARING SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a railroad car centerplate bearing assembly, a circular boss, encircled by a plane, annular horizontal bearing surface, a bearing ring depending downwardly from the car bolster encircling the boss in register with the bearing surface, a friction ring encircling the boss between the bearing surface and the bearing ring, the truck bolster being cylindrically apertured in alignment with the aperture in the center filler, a center pin received in the cylindrical apertures, a pocket in the truck bolster adapted to receive and center the lower end of the pin, the bearing ring may be flattened on one side perpendicular to the length of the car, the friction ring floating between the truck bolster and the bearing ring. Thus the friction ring responsive to relative movement of the bolster about a vertical axis is free to travel angularly about the boss.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in part section of the car and truck bolsters of a railroad car;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the truck bolster along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Only so much of the truck and car bolsters as is necessary to illustrate the invention is shown. Other elements of the usual railroad truck and car combination are omitted, in the interest of clarity.

The car bolster I is attached to the center still 2 extending longitudinally of the car. The center still is horizontally flanged at 3 and contains a center filler or reinforcing central housing 4, cylindrically apertured at 5, the bottom of the car bolster being apertured in prolongation of the aperture 5. An annular bearing ring 6 extends downwardly from the underside of the car bolster, has a downwardly exposed bearing surface 7 and defines a female pocket 8 adapted to receive a boss 9 extending upwardly from the top of the truck bolster casting.

The boss is cylindrically apertured at 10 in register with the aperture 5. A pocket 11 in the truck bolster open at top and partially closed at bottom is adapted to receive a center pin 12 socketed in the cylindrical apertures 5 and 10, there being substantial clearance for the center pin.

Interposed between a bearing surface 13 on the truck bolster encircling the boss 9 and the bearing surface 7 on the bearing ring 6 is a friction annular ring 14. The height of the bearing ring 6 and the friction ring 14 being such that the boss 9 is held out of contact with the car bolster. The bearing ring 6 may be flattened on one side as indicated at 15, perpendicular to the axis of the car. The outer diameter of the annular friction ring 14 is preferably uniform throughout.

The load applied to the car is generally concentric with the center of the annular surfaces and thus the spaced annular surfaces form a wide base which inhibits car rocking ordinarily due to unevenness of railway tracks.

I claim:

1. A railway car centerplate and bolster construction including a car bolster having a flat, horizontal, annular central undersurface, a truck bolster having a horizontaLannular, flat upper surface opposed to said undersurface, said undersurface being broken only by an axial opening formed and adapted for reception of a center pin, said upper surface being broken only by a central upstanding circular boss and an axial opening formed in said boss and adapted for reception of said center pin, an annular floating friction ring resting on said upper surface and surrounding said boss, said friction ring having a central opening of a diameter greater than the outer diameter of said boss and a bearing ring resting on said friction ring and filling the space between said friction ring and said undersurface, said bearing ring being substantially rectangular in cross section and having a central opening of a diameter greater than the outer diameter of said boss and substantially equal to the diameter of the opening in said friction ring, said bearing ring having a thickness substantially equal to the height of said boss whereby said undersurface is held above said boss a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said friction ring, said upper surface having its peripheral edge flattened on opposite sides of said truck bolster and in parallel with the longitudinal axis of said truck bolster, said friction ring having its peripheral edge flattened on one side of said car bolster in parallel with the longitudinal axis of said car bolster, said friction ring having a continuous outer diameter.

* g;gg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 316031265 Dated September 7, 1971 Franklin D. Barber Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, Line 41, for "friction" read bearing Signed and sealed this 6th day of June 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. A railway car centerplate and bolster construction including a car bolster having a flat, horizontal, annular central undersurface, a truck bolster having a horizontal, annular, flat upper surface opposed to said undersurface, said undersurface being broken only by an axial opening formed and adapted for reception of a center pin, said upper surface being broken only by a central upstanding circular boss and an axial opening formed in said boss and adapted for reception of said center pin, an annular floating friction ring resting on said upper surface and surrounding said boss, said friction ring having a central opening of a diameter greater than the outer diameter of said boss and a bearing ring resting on said friction ring and filling the space between said friction ring and said undersurface, said bearing ring being substantially rectangular in cross section and having a central opening of a diameter greater than the outer diameter of said boss and substantially equal to the diameter of the opening in said friction ring, said bearing ring having a thickness substantially equal to the height of said boss whereby said undersurface is held above said boss a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said friction ring, said upper surface having its peripheral edge flattened on opposite sides of said truck bolster and in parallel with the longitudinal axis of said truck bolster, said friction ring having its peripheral edge flattened on one side of said car bolster in parallel with the longitudinal axis of said car bolster, said friction ring having a continuous outer diameter. 